Taylor Andorfer 9.13.15 Science Birds Investigation Which household food item will birds prefer? Question: I chose to conduct a study questioning "Which household food item will birds prefer?" The food items are: Cheerios, pumpkin seeds, unsalted sunflower seeds without shells and raisins. Introduction: I decided to conduct this experiment and use these specific foods because I wanted to have a variety of taste, flavors and textures. I decided to incorporate Cheerios because I want to have an element of texture. This is to see if the birds can break down the solid. The sunflower seeds were chosen due to a previous investigation that I conducted that showed that sunflower seeds are contained in the majority of store bought bird seed/food. I chose I decided I wanted to have a food that the birds have had little access to in their lifetime, this resulted in using pumpkin seeds as a food group. I have learned that most birds have berries in their food pallet. Though I can not leave berries in a bird feeder for 6 days (because they will rot) I can leave raisins.
Hypothesis: I predict that the birds with prefer the sunflower seeds. The reasons I predict this are because of an investigation I have done that has showed that the average of store bought bird seed mix contains sunflower seeds. My second prediction is that the raisins will be the least popular choice among the birds because of the unnatural sugar and preservatives that it contains. The independent variable is the food. (Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, Cheerios and raisins.) As well as, the weather, due to rain, sun or breeze. Thecontrol variables is the bird feeder and the time of day of feeding. The dependent variable is the amount of food that is eaten in the course of the four days.
Procedure: Before I start the experiment, I will mark my clear bird feeder with Sharpie measuring 1 quarter cup increments with a total of 1 and 3/4. I will be placing 1 and 3/4 cup of food for each food group in the bird feeder while measuring at the conclusion of each day how much food has been eaten. Each day I will fill out a chart that I have made that keeps track of the birds I have seen throughout the day, as well as the weather, the amount of food eaten and my observations.
Birds Expected to be seen
Cardinal
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Materials List:
Cheerios
Unshelled, unsalted sunflower seeds
Unsalted pumpkin seeds
Raisins
Sharpie
Clear bird feeder
Weather chart
Birds tracking chart
Food chart
Camera
Total Amount of Food Eaten in the Course of Six days.
Tracking Chart
Date
Time
Weather
Food type
Food left since last recording
Birds seen today
Notes for next time
Observations
14/15
7:16
Chilly
Cheerios
1st Recording 1 ¾ Cups
Cardinal
When watching birds, leave window open
None
15/15
7:02
Sunny, chilly
Cheerios
1⅞ Cup
3 House Finches
none
16/15
7:57
Sunny with clouds
Cheerios
1⅞ Cup
None
Watch birds earlier
Birds feed early in the morning
17/15
6:46
Chilly
Cheerios
1 ½ Cup
Squirrel
A note for the future: Place your bird feeder in a place that squirrels can not reach.
Birds typically will not visit the feeder if a squirrel is present.
18/15
6:50
Sunny and Chilly
Cheerios
1 ½ Cup
None
19/15
6:43
Sunny and Chilly
Cheerios
1 ½ Cup
Cardinal
20/15
7:59
Rainy
Sunflower Seeds
1st Recording 1 ¾ Cup
2 House Sparrows
21/15
7:00
Rainy
Sunflower Seeds
1 ⅞ Cup
1 American Goldfinch
22/15
6:58
Rainy
Sunflower Seeds
1 ⅝ Cup
Many House Finches
House Finches typically eat together
23/15
6:32
Sunny and Cloudy
Sunflower Seeds
1 Cup
Unidentified Bird
24/15
7:02
Raining
Sunflower Seeds
¾ Cup
Cardinal
25/15
7:14
Rainy
Sunflower Seeds
½ Cup
Cardinal + 4 House Finches
26/15
7:08
Cloudy
No Food
½ Cup
Dog
27/15
8:01
Rainy
Pumpkin Seeds
1st Recording 1 ¾ Cup
None
28/15
6:46
Rainy
Pumpkin Seeds
1 ¾ Cup
None
29/15
7:08
Storm
Pumpkin Seeds
1 ⅞ Cup
1 House Finch
30/15
7:15
Rainy
Pumpkin Seeds
1 ⅞ Cup
None
1/15
7:36
Rainy
Pumpkin Seeds
1 ½ Cup
1 Carnal
2/15
6:34
Storm
Pumpkin Seeds
1 ½ Cup
None
3/15
8:08
Rainy
Raisins
1st Recording 1 ¼ Cup
1 Carnal
4/15
6:58
Rainy
Raisins
1 ¼ Cups
1 House Sparrow
5/15
7:39
Cloudy
Raisins
1 ¼ Cup
1 American Goldfinch
6/15
7:09
Sunny and Cloudy
Raisins
1 ⅝ Cup
None
7/15
7:56
Sunny
Raisins
1 ⅝ Cup
None
8/15
6:33
Cloudy
Raisins
1 ⅝ Cup
1 House Finch
Cheerios Results The Cheerio results that were found at the end of the sixth day, concluded that the birds ate .25 cup in the course of six days.
DSC_1664.JPG
DSC_1665.JPG
Sunflower Seeds Results The sunflower seeds results that were found at the end of the sixth day, concluded that the birds ate 1.25 cups of sunflower seeds in the course of six days.
Pumpkin Seeds Results The pumpkin seeds results that were found at the end of the sixth day, concluded that the birds ate .5 cups of pumpkin seeds, in the course of six days.
DSC_1682.JPG
Raisin Results The raisin results that were found at the end of the sixth day, concluded that the birds ate .75 cups of pumpkin seeds, in the course of six days.
Results and Discussion: Week one involved the use of Cheerios as bird feed. Cheerios were used as a starting point for this experiment, as I wanted to have an element of texture. This was an attempt to discover if the birds would be willing or able to break down the solid. What was found was that Cheerios was the least amount of food consumed out of the four food groups. I concluded that in fact, the birds could not break down the Cheerios into bite sized pieces. Alternatively, one must consider that “flavor” may also have been a factor. I’m led now to ask the question: What are Cheerios made of? And are these elements essential to birds diet? (I did take into account the ease in which the Cheerios could be accessed from the bird feeder. All appearances indicate that it was accessible.
Week two involved the use of sunflower seeds as bird feed. The sunflower seeds were chosen due to my previous investigation showed that sunflower seeds are contained in the majority of store bought bird food. The results supported my hypothesis. Sunflower seeds were the greatest amount of food eaten in the course of six days. Please note that these result may also have been affected inversely by the weather which was rain throughout the week. With sunny weather the results of food eaten may have been even higher.
Week three involved the use of pumpkin seeds as bird feed. Pumpkin seeds were a food source that birds have had little access to in their lifetime. The results concluded that the birds ate .75 cups at the course of six days. Although pumpkin seeds did not take place in my hypothesis, I had a suspicion that they would not be favored among the birds. Along with the fact that birds do not have the taste of pumpkin seeds in their food pallet, pumpkin seeds are also hard to chew. This may have also been a factor in the pumpkin seeds being one of the least favored foods.
Week four, the last week involved raisins as bird feed. My hypothesis stated that raisins would be the least favored food among the birds due to the unnatural sugar that raisins contain. My hypothesis was incorrect. I believe that my hypothesis is incorrect because birds may not be able to differentiate natural sugar in fruit, such as berries or processed sugar in dried fruit, such as raisins.
Resources: For future investigations, there are a number of things that could be done differently to make this experiment more reliable and effective. What could be altered or changed would could be if each of the food groups has identical bird feeders that are hanging simultaneously, so that each of the food groups has identical variables. The fact that it was pouring down rain throughout week 3 (pumpkin seeds) lead me to believe that the rain effected the ending result.
An alternate hypothesis would be; the birds will prefer sunflower seeds because the birds have sunflower seeds in their food pallet; this is why the majority of bird seed/food includes sunflower seeds. The birds will least prefer the pumpkin seeds because the pumpkin seeds are not included in a birds food pallet, this would result in the birds disliking the taste and having digestion problems. Along with pumpkin seeds the birds will also dislike Cheerios because of the side of the Cheerios to handle and eat.
9.13.15
Science
Birds Investigation
Which household food item will birds prefer?
Question: I chose to conduct a study questioning "Which household food item will birds prefer?" The food items are: Cheerios, pumpkin seeds, unsalted sunflower seeds without shells and raisins.
Introduction: I decided to conduct this experiment and use these specific foods because I wanted to have a variety of taste, flavors and textures. I decided to incorporate Cheerios because I want to have an element of texture. This is to see if the birds can break down the solid. The sunflower seeds were chosen due to a previous investigation that I conducted that showed that sunflower seeds are contained in the majority of store bought bird seed/food. I chose I decided I wanted to have a food that the birds have had little access to in their lifetime, this resulted in using pumpkin seeds as a food group. I have learned that most birds have berries in their food pallet. Though I can not leave berries in a bird feeder for 6 days (because they will rot) I can leave raisins.
Hypothesis: I predict that the birds with prefer the sunflower seeds. The reasons I predict this are because of an investigation I have done that has showed that the average of store bought bird seed mix contains sunflower seeds. My second prediction is that the raisins will be the least popular choice among the birds because of the unnatural sugar and preservatives that it contains.
The independent variable is the food. (Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, Cheerios and raisins.) As well as, the weather, due to rain, sun or breeze. The control variables is the bird feeder and the time of day of feeding.
The dependent variable is the amount of food that is eaten in the course of the four days.
Procedure: Before I start the experiment, I will mark my clear bird feeder with Sharpie measuring 1 quarter cup increments with a total of 1 and 3/4. I will be placing 1 and 3/4 cup of food for each food group in the bird feeder while measuring at the conclusion of each day how much food has been eaten. Each day I will fill out a chart that I have made that keeps track of the birds I have seen throughout the day, as well as the weather, the amount of food eaten and my observations.
Birds Expected to be seen
- Cardinal
- House Finch
- American Goldfinch
Materials List:Total Amount of Food Eaten in the Course of Six days.
Tracking Chart
type
1 ¾ Cups
feeder in a place that squirrels can not reach.
1 ¾ Cup
1 ¾ Cup
1 ¼ Cup
Cheerios Results
The Cheerio results
that were found at
the end of the sixth
day, concluded that
the birds ate .25 cup
in the course of six
days.
Sunflower Seeds
Results
The sunflower seeds
results that were found
at the end of the sixth
day, concluded that
the birds ate 1.25 cups
of sunflower seeds
in the course of six
days.
Pumpkin Seeds
Results
The pumpkin seeds
results that were found
at the end of the sixth
day, concluded that
the birds ate .5 cups
of pumpkin seeds,
in the course of six
days.
Raisin Results
The raisin results that
were found at the end
of the sixth day, concluded
that the birds ate .75 cups
of pumpkin seeds, in the
course of six days.
Results and Discussion: Week one involved the use of Cheerios as bird feed. Cheerios were used as a starting point for this experiment, as I wanted to have an element of texture. This was an attempt to discover if the birds would be willing or able to break down the solid. What was found was that Cheerios was the least amount of food consumed out of the four food groups. I concluded that in fact, the birds could not break down the Cheerios into bite sized pieces. Alternatively, one must consider that “flavor” may also have been a factor. I’m led now to ask the question: What are Cheerios made of? And are these elements essential to birds diet? (I did take into account the ease in which the Cheerios could be accessed from the bird feeder. All appearances indicate that it was accessible.
Week two involved the use of sunflower seeds as bird feed. The sunflower seeds were chosen due to my previous investigation showed that sunflower seeds are contained in the majority of store bought bird food. The results supported my hypothesis. Sunflower seeds were the greatest amount of food eaten in the course of six days. Please note that these result may also have been affected inversely by the weather which was rain throughout the week. With sunny weather the results of food eaten may have been even higher.
Week three involved the use of pumpkin seeds as bird feed. Pumpkin seeds were a food source that birds have had little access to in their lifetime. The results concluded that the birds ate .75 cups at the course of six days. Although pumpkin seeds did not take place in my hypothesis, I had a suspicion that they would not be favored among the birds. Along with the fact that birds do not have the taste of pumpkin seeds in their food pallet, pumpkin seeds are also hard to chew. This may have also been a factor in the pumpkin seeds being one of the least favored foods.
Week four, the last week involved raisins as bird feed. My hypothesis stated that raisins would be the least favored food among the birds due to the unnatural sugar that raisins contain. My hypothesis was incorrect. I believe that my hypothesis is incorrect because birds may not be able to differentiate natural sugar in fruit, such as berries or processed sugar in dried fruit, such as raisins.
Resources: For future investigations, there are a number of things that could be done differently to make this experiment more reliable and effective. What could be altered or changed would could be if each of the food groups has identical bird feeders that are hanging simultaneously, so that each of the food groups has identical variables. The fact that it was pouring down rain throughout week 3 (pumpkin seeds) lead me to believe that the rain effected the ending result.
An alternate hypothesis would be; the birds will prefer sunflower seeds because the birds have sunflower seeds in their food pallet; this is why the majority of bird seed/food includes sunflower seeds. The birds will least prefer the pumpkin seeds because the pumpkin seeds are not included in a birds food pallet, this would result in the birds disliking the taste and having digestion problems. Along with pumpkin seeds the birds will also dislike Cheerios because of the side of the Cheerios to handle and eat.